Friday, July 26, 2013

Back to work or throw away my computer…you decide

So I have been out of the loop for a few weeks now.
After covering local news for an established media outlet for the past seven
years, I called it quits.

I walked away from a regular paycheck, health
coverage, an office of my own, and so called “respectability”.

I did this for several reasons- contrary to popular
opinion and several rumors flying around town, I was NOT fired, I did NOT
steal, and I am NOT being deported.

I left on my own terms, reasons some of you may
know, some of you may not (or not care) to know. I will say this: Those that
took time to notice saw me at many local events and meetings, saw me interview
and observe people who had stories to tell.

Many of these stories never saw the light of day.
Decisions on what and what not to run are often made without the best interest
of the reader in mind. My take? Put it out there and let the reader decide.

Not to say that everything is newsworthy, because
it’s not. But if an event or action has a widespread impact on the community, I
think that makes it newsworthy.

Being shelved because they may generate a few
uncomfortable phone calls is not a good reason in my opinion.

I have been approached by some readers in recent
weeks asking if I have given up on my local coverage. If I have decided to
ignore local politics, local sports, local features, and most of all, the
weekly column some of you have become regular readers of.

The answer to all of these is “NO.” But, while I
have taken a little break to clear my head, I do plan to write the same type of
stories that I have been doing for the past seven years, but with a slightly
streamlined distribution.

My input on these sites is being formulated as I
type this, so as we progress, content will grow and coverage will expand.
Updates will be provided through social media sites as new stories are posted.

Also, I am planning on and looking forward to
resuming my weekly column with a slightly expanded subject base.

My first new entry will be “Coffee with the Mayor-
Chris Marley’s take on where Chino Valley is headed” and will be posted
sometime next week.

Some may not like what I write, some may think I
need to toss my computer, but a few of you out there may want to hear the other
side of the story.

That’s what I hope to provide.

If you are part of that curious group, please share
this page with others you think may enjoy what I do.